Ethics & Policies

Publication Ethics

The Journal adheres to the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). We are committed to transparency, scientific rigor, and the responsible dissemination of clinical knowledge. All published content undergoes editorial review to ensure accuracy, originality, and adherence to ethical standards.

Authorship

The Journal follows the ICMJE criteria for authorship. All individuals listed as authors must meet all four of the following criteria:

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content
3. Final approval of the version to be published
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part are appropriately investigated and resolved

Contributors who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged in an Acknowledgments section rather than listed as authors.

Conflict of Interest

All authors are required to disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could be perceived as influencing the content of their manuscript. This includes financial relationships, institutional affiliations, personal relationships, or academic interests that could create a potential conflict. Reviewers and editors must recuse themselves from the review process when a conflict of interest exists.

Plagiarism

The Journal maintains a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism in all its forms. All submissions may be screened using plagiarism detection software. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:

• Verbatim copying of text from other sources without proper attribution
• Paraphrasing the ideas or arguments of others without citation
• Self-plagiarism — reusing substantial portions of one's own previously published work without disclosure

Confirmed plagiarism will result in immediate rejection of the manuscript. If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the article will be retracted and the authors' institutions may be notified.

No Prior Publication

To ensure the originality and integrity of published content, the Journal of The Clinical Problem Solvers considers only submissions that have not been previously published in a peer-reviewed journal. We aim to provide thoughtful editorial review and ensure that submitted work undergoes appropriate evaluation prior to formal publication.

We recognize that many submissions may originate from educational settings within the Clinical Problem Solvers community. The following activities are acceptable and do not constitute prior publication:

• Presentation of cases in educational forums (e.g., VMRs, rapid-fire sessions)
• Informal discussion or teaching on social media or other non-archived platforms
• Posting drafts on non-commercial or educational platforms for feedback

Submissions should represent original work that has not been formally published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal.

Patient Privacy & Consent

The protection of patient privacy is paramount. All clinical cases published in the Journal must comply with the following requirements:

• De-identification: All patient information must be de-identified in accordance with HIPAA Safe Harbor guidelines. Remove or alter all 18 HIPAA identifiers.
• Informed consent: If any potentially identifying details are essential to the educational value of the case, written informed consent from the patient (or their legal representative) must be obtained and documented.
• Clinical images: All images must have identifying information removed. Consent is required for any images in which a patient could potentially be identified.
• IRB considerations: CPS cases drawn from real clinical encounters should have institutional review board (IRB) approval or a documented exemption determination, per institutional policy.

↓ Download Patient Consent Form (PDF)

Editor as Author

For submissions where an Editorial Board member or journal staff is a listed author, the Journal maintains a strict separation of duties to ensure an unbiased review process. These authors are fully blinded to the editorial and peer-review process for their own manuscript and are excluded from all decision-making. See our Submission Guidelines for the full policy on editor-authored submissions, including requirements for independent oversight and transparency.

AI & Technology Disclosure

The Journal requires transparency regarding the use of artificial intelligence and large language models in the preparation of manuscripts:

• Authors must disclose if AI tools were used in any phase of manuscript preparation, including drafting, editing, literature review, or data analysis.
• AI tools may not be listed as authors, as they cannot meet ICMJE authorship criteria (specifically, accountability).
• Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of all content, regardless of whether AI tools were used in its preparation.

Corrections & Retractions

The Journal follows COPE guidelines for handling errors and concerns about published content:

• Errata: Errors identified after publication that do not affect the conclusions will be corrected via a published erratum notice linked to the original article.
• Expressions of Concern: If concerns are raised about the integrity of a published work that require investigation, an Expression of Concern may be issued while the matter is reviewed.
• Retractions: Articles found to contain fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or serious uncorrectable errors will be retracted with a clear retraction notice.

Open Access & Copyright

Authors retain copyright of their work. Journal content is freely accessible to all authenticated users of the journal platform. Specific licensing terms will be formalized as the journal evolves. Authors may share and distribute their published work with appropriate attribution to the Journal of The Clinical Problem Solvers.